


AC

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AC - Freeform, Awkward Flirting, Dogs, F/M, Family, Flirting, Fluffy Ending, Friendship/Love, Love, Mutual Pining, Orphans, Phil trying to surprise Daisy, Phil's sad childhood, Pining, Puppy Love, Separations, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-12 12:21:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7934434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil shows up on pet adoption day in search of Daisy.  Takes place between S3 finale and 6 Months Later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	AC

 

  

**One month later**

 

He stares down at the adoption card in his hand.

"Oh, he's very sweet. A _little needy_ ," Dr. Winslow adds as an aside, leaning in. And as if on cue, the puppy whines and paws in their direction.

He replaces the card on the pen and looks down into the puppy's big grey eyes again.

"We found him beside his mother," the vet continues. "She'd been hit by a car, poor thing."

His mouth drops open, and he watches the vet kneel and ruffle the puppy's head. "He's all alone now, but we're going to fix that, aren't we?"

Despite the Dr.'s cute tone, which only reminds him of her, somehow, he says, "That's terrible," aloud, before he regains his composure.

Dr. Winslow stands. "It's sad, yes. He just needs someone to give him a second chance."

He finds his eyes wandering around the street, up and down the sidewalk, looking for a glimpse. Any sign.

But there is none.

"How did he get his name?" he asks, because he wants to torture himself like this, it turns out.

"One of my volunteers, who found him, as a matter-of-fact. Said he looks like an A.C. Name stuck," he shrugs.

"Why hasn't he been adopted?"

"Oh, he was a little small when he first came in. And also," he declares, as he remembers. "My friend is fond of him, I guess.  Has to be the _right_ fit."

"Does she visit him often?" He watches her father, smiling mildly, hoping.

 "I never said my friend was a _she_ ," the other man answers, still wearing a smile, but he's narrowed his gaze.

 "Sorry, I just assumed," he offers. "Statistically speaking, women volunteer more than men."

It works, he thinks. The guy relaxes a little. It was just a flash, but it reminded him of the guy who pummeled him in the near-distant past.

"I'm glad you have such an empathetic friend," he continues to tell him. "I wouldn't want to be the one to disappoint her by taking AC off your hands."

"She knows. _All good things must come to an end_ is what she'd say."

"That's sad." It's heartbreaking, actually.  There's a twist in his chest.  A small, defiant voice saying it's not true.

"There _is_ something sad about her," Dr. Winslow admits. "She shouldn't be that sad," he smiles cheerfully. "I do what I can."

"I'll visit again, next time I'm in town, and check in on AC," he promises. "If he's still here."

He gives him what he thinks is a hopeful smile and pats the puppy over the top of the pen as he licks his hand.

"I'll have to know more about you than that to get the sign off," he playfully warns, pointing at him.

He fakes looking at his watch. "I'm running late, so, maybe don't tell her?  It can be a surprise if it all works out," he suggests.  

It's not like she wants to be found.

"Agreed," he replies, swiping a finger at him, and smiling.

"Okay, well, I'll see you around." He heads down the sidewalk quickly and ignores the call after him.

"Hey, I didn't even get your name!"

 

 

 T **hree Months Later**

"My AC," she says in a too-cute voice as the puppy flops into her lap.  
  
He rolls around a bit trying to follow her hand and then sighs and lays still gazing up at her.  
  
"He's only quiet because he's waiting for you to talk about him," Dr. Winslow says, shuffling through the papers on his desk.  
  
"He's a good boy," she defends him, patting his head. "Aren't you?" She grins when he starts to roll around furiously again.  
  
"Spoiled is more like it. I've given up trying to make him sit."  
  
"Yeah?" She eggs on. "Maybe he's on a secret mission?  To save all the puppies that he can?"  
  
"More like raiding my kitchen," he chuckles. "Do you know I caught him on a counter?"  
  
"Doing what?" she laughs, and settles herself in the chair.  
  
"Eating a cupcake that one of my clients brought me.  Thankfully, not chocolate. Doesn't want dog treats, though, just-"  
  
He stops himself and trains his eyes on her.  "There's that far away face again."  
  
"Just thinking. About someone."  
  
"Happy thoughts, I hope?"  
  
"Yeah," she says, as he looks back to his work, putting the puppy off as he whimpers. "Someone I miss. Which leads me to totally switch subjects and ask if you've met anyone interesting lately?"  
  
"Hmm." He mulls it over. "No. Not really."  
  
"Any interesting ladies, perhaps?" she presses.  
  
"No," he says, again, brushing her away. "But I'm a little dense when it comes to that sort of thing."  
  
"I know!"she agrees with a big smile. "Which is why I'm asking."  
  
"There _was_ a guy that came in on adoption day. It's funny, one of those things where it feels like you've met before."  
  
She feels her face start to fall and picks it back up.  
  
"Oh, really?" she says, sitting back in the chair. "What was he like?"  
  
"Older, kind of blended right into the background until I saw him looking at AC here."

He leans down and calls the puppy over to scratch him under his chin.  
  
"What made you remember him?" she leads him.  
  
"His eyes, I think. And his voice. Warm, but a touch of something-"  
  
"What?"  She has to know.  If he's been here, looking for her.  
  
"I don't know what you call it? The French word? Yes! Ennui."  
  
"Ennui," she repeats.  That doesn't exactly sound like Coulson.  
  
"That the certain something he yearned for just moved out of his reach."  
  
"That's very perceptive," she says, after a moment.   _That_ , sounds like Coulson.  
  
"Must be it," he hums in agreement. "Why he seemed so familiar."  
  
"You feel that way?" she asks, with a lump in her throat.  
  
"Yes. Sometimes. Don't you?"  
  
"Definitely."  
  
"Anyway!" he says, getting up and shutting his computer. "He left before I could ask him about himself. And then I forgot about him until now. That kind of face."

Her mouth falls open and she stands up out of the chair.  
  
"Not handsome? At all?"  
  
"I don't think he's your type," he replies, then puzzles over it. "Then again, I guess I don't know what that is."  
  
"My type is small and furry and likes his chin scratched," she answers.  
  
And scoops the puppy back into her arms as his tail wiggles happily.

 

 

 

  **6 months and 5 Days Later**

 

 "Hi."

  
"Hello."  
  
"Do you two know each other?" Winslow asks as they both stare at each other in front of the pen on the sidewalk outside his office.  
  
"Uh-" he starts to answer.  
  
"He just has one of those faces," she quickly replies, smiling and _smiling_.  
  
"A chance encounter," he fills in after her. "What are the odds?"  
  
AC is scrambling in his arms to get out of them to Daisy.  
  
"Is this your friend you talked about?" he asks Dr. Winslow, dragging his eyes away from her.  
  
"Yes," he says, puzzled. "How did you-"  
  
"I think AC gave it away," he smirks, putting the puppy down as he scrambles and skitters across the sidewalk to her.  
  
"What?" she asks, looking at her father, who she can't explain any of this to. "How does he know about-"  
  
"He was going to adopt AC," he tells her.  
  
" _My_ AC?" she says, picking him up.  
  
"I think you mean my AC," Coulson replies, crossing his arms.  
  
"Um, no. He has a new family," she says, twisting the puppy away in her arms.  
  
"Family can look a lot of different ways," he answers pointedly.  
  
"Well, AC's family looks like a little girl and her mother, and only someone completely-"  
  
"Fine," he says, cutting her off.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Good," WInslow says, as a boy tugs on his arm to get his attention. "I'll let you two work it out."  
  
"What were you-I mean, _where_?"  She says, moving in closer to him when her father is out of range.  
  
"It was going to be," he swallows. "A surprise."  
  
"At the base?" she goes on. "What about the Director?"  
  
"We never made a pets policy," he explains, stroking AC on the head.  
  
"A secret base is no place for a puppy!" she tells him, clearly appalled as he frowns at her.  
  
"Then, Plan B."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Hide him?"  
  
"Do not," she hushes loudly, putting her face close to his. "Let my dad hear you say that."  
  
"Obviously he's going where you think is best," he retorts, letting his eyes rove over her face.  
  
It distracts her, but she manages to speak. "It's for Robin."  
  
"That's sweet," he nods, as his eyelashes flicker. "It's _nice_ ," he adds, lowering his voice.  
  
"And you're good?" she eeks out. "Everyone will be _happy_?" 

"I'm happ-"  
  
"Good! All worked out!" They both jump as Dr. Winslow claps his hands and startles them.  AC gives a little bark at the disruption.  
  
"Of course," Coulson says, giving her a wry smile. "We were always going to work it out."  
  
"And all good things must come to an end," the Dr. tells them.  
  
"Or, begin again?" she says, meeting Coulson's eyes, and then her father's.  
  
"That's..." he starts, looking between them. "What your type looks like, then."  
  
She rolls her eyes and Coulson smiles wider and pets AC.  
  
"We could take AC for a walk around the block. Let him blow off some energy?" he asks her.  
  
"Ooh! There's a nice coffee shop on the corner," the Dr. offers. "In fact," he reaches, taking AC, "Why don't I take him?"  
  
"My friend and her daughter, Robin, are meeting me here," Daisy says.  
  
"I'll let them know where to find you? They have to fill out paperwork," he mentions. "Boring stuff."  
  
"Are you sure?" she replies.  
  
"About as sure as I'm ever going to get," he says, eyeing Coulson.

 

 

 

**35 Minutes Later**

 

 

 

 "See? There she is."

 

 

"You see Daisy," she points out, bending to speak to the child on her level. "Robin?"

The little girl smiles up at her mother, then leans over to pat the puppy beside her biting on its leash.

Polly looks back at Dr. Winslow, watching them carefully, then stares past him into into the coffee shop window.

"That man she's with, he looks...familiar."

"Really?" he says in surprise, turning. "I feel like I've been hearing that all day."

"She didn't mention meeting someone else," Polly continues.

"Didn't plan on it, I don't think," he tells her with a smile. "I guess the day is full of surprises."

"Just one of those faces, I guess," she says, then looks his over. "They must have really hit it off. She's usually so guarded."

"You should've seen the way he looked at her. Like they hung the moon and the stars on her."

"She deserves someone who looks at her like that."

"Yes, she's special. What if it's fate?" He suggests, with a tilt of his head.

"Is that what you believe?"

"I'm not sure," he pauses. "But it sounds nice."

Their eyes meet, and Polly glances down at her daughter and brushes her fingers across her hair. 

 "Oh, look! She sees us," he tells them, looking back inside the shop.

"Everyone wave!"

 


End file.
